Byline: 

I absolutely loved this book, Working. The author, Robert Caro, has devoted his life to writing biographies of two men, Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson. Caro is fascinated by how men amass power in a Democracy. He devoted more than seven years to writing about Moses and more than forty years to write four books on Lyndon Johnson. Caro honestly conveyed the genius of Moses and Johnson as well as their flaws. His obsession with detail is commendable. Caro is a wonderful storyteller, the key to being a successful historian.

In the case of Robert Moses, he held more power than governors of New York State and mayors of New York City for close to 50 years. Moses held this power despite never winning an election. Known as the "master builder" of mid-20thcentury. His accomplishments included major projects in New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County. 

Moses was one of the most polarizing figures in the history of urban development in the United States. His decisions favoring highways over public transit helped create the modern suburbs of Long Island and influenced a generation of engineers, architects, and urban planners who spread his philosophies across the nation. 

Robert Moses at one point simultaneously held twelve titles (including NY C Parks, Commissioner and Chairman of the Long Island State Park. He created and led numerous public authorities that gave him autonomy from the general public and elected officials. Through these authorities, he controlled millions of dollars in income from his projects, such as tolls, and he could issue bonds to borrow vast sums for new ventures with little or no input from legislative bodies. This removed him from the power of the purse as it normally functioned in the United States, and from the process of public comment on major public works. As a result of Moses' work, New York has the United States' greatest proportion of public benefit corporations, which are the prime mode of infrastructure building and maintenance in New York and account for most of the state's debt.

During his life, Moses was responsible for the building of all the major freeways surrounding New York City, many parks, and public housing developments.  Moses, a true giant, ruthlessly brushed aside opposition to make his accomplishments. Moses moved a major freeway three miles to overcome the opposition of Herman Kahn (Kuhn, Loeb family) who owned a private golf course. However, he would not move the highway one tenth of a mile to save many Long Island farms. Many of Moses’s policies hurt poor Blacks and Hispanics, who had little public influence in that era.

Lyndon Johnson is indeed a larger than life personality. Over and over again, Johnson found power in positions that heretofore had been powerless. He was the greatest Master of the Senate--an institution that either prior to Johnson or subsequent to him never had a powerful Master of the Senate. Johnson ruthlessly stole elections whether in college or his first Senate election in 1948. In brief, Johnson “had to win.” On the other hand, Johnson’s ability to pass legislation might have only been matched by FDR during the early years of the New Deal. Only Johnson could have passed the 1957, 1964, and 1965 Civil Rights Acts. On the other hand, to amass power Johnson courted the Segregationist Senators who ruled the Senate--the old bulls of the Senate. (Richard Russell, Strom Thurmond, Herman Tallmadge, William Fulbright, Harry Byrd, etc.) From his election in 1948 until 1960 he supported Jim Crow legislation, opposed anti-lynching laws, supported the poll tax, etc. Johnson’s biggest financial supporters were fanatical segregationists (reactionaries). 

In order to write an accurate biographies of Moses and Johnson, Caro had to go through millions of documents and through sleuth find out secrets that both men tried to keep. Both Johnson and Moses used any means to silence critics.

Personal Experience

I only had one intimate personal experience with Lyndon Johnson. I was so shocked by his behavior that subsequently I had contempt for him.

In my freshman year, I was elected to an honorary academic society, Phi Eta Sigma. Johnson’s daughter Lucy who was my age was elected also to that society. At an evening event honoring us, Vice President Johnson spoke. 

Subsequently, my mother who was a lifelong journalist contacted Jack Valenti to see whether I could have a picture with Johnson. Valenti who subsequently became President of the Motion Picture Academy had been a student of my father. He remained a close friend of both of my parents. During that time, Valenti was Johnson’s press agent.

To make a long story short, Valenti arranged for me to have my picture taken with Lyndon Johnson. While there were professional photographers, my mother who never was without a camera also wanted to take my picture. Unfortunately, mother’s camera froze requiring Vice President Johnson and I to pose for a few minutes. Johnson went into a rage and used a string of four letter words at my mother. Because my father never cursed, I was shocked that a man, no less than the Vice President of the United States, would insult my mother in such a crude, disgusting manner. Although Mom overcame her embarrassment, I could never forgive him and failed to cherish that photograph.